TeraHertz: A Tech Innovation Of Past Current & Future.

As per the latest news reported by GadgetsNow:

The group of researchers have come up with a new THz microchip (terahertz) which boasts of running your optical communication devices like computers etc, at 100 times faster than what current wireless communication technology currently can deliver. It’s a new innovation in data transfer tech.

One of the core scientist Levy Says :

This discovery could help fill the ‘THz gap’ and create new and more powerful wireless devices that could transmit data at significantly higher speeds than currently possible,”“In the world of hi-tech advances, this is game-changing technology,” Levy added.

On the same note, Today I would like to enlighten all my lovely readers with this new Imaging technology called Terahertz(THz Gap) which is easily a new innovation in the world of science and can be a game changer in the coming future.

What Is Terahertz?

Terahertz or THz can be understood as :

• Terahertz (unit), a unit of frequency, defined as one trillion (1012) cycles per second or 1012 hertz
• Terahertz radiation, electromagnetic waves within the ITU-designated band of frequencies from 0.3 to 3 terahertz

Terahertz (THz) frequency range (0.1 THz — 3 THz) is the last span within the whole electromagnetic wave spectrum, and is revered in the scientific world as THz Gap.

This terahertz gap is a taking tech world’s imagination to all new level fostering many new possibilities in optical communication technology.

Terahertz Radiation:

Terahertz waves lie at the far end of the infrared band, just before the start of the microwave band.

As per Wiki :Terahertz radiation — also known as submillimeter radiation, terahertz waves, tremendously high frequency (THF), T-rays, T-waves, T-light, T-lux or THz — consists of electromagnetic waves within the ITU-designated band of frequencies from 0.3 to 3 terahertz (THz; 1 THz = 1012 Hz). Wavelengths of radiation in the terahertz band correspondingly range from 1 mm to 0.1 mm (or 100 μm). Because terahertz radiation begins at a wavelength of one millimeter and proceeds into shorter wavelengths, it is sometimes known as the submillimeter band, and its radiation as submillimeter waves, especially in astronomy.THz radiation possesses some unique attributes

• One key feature is that many materials which block visible and IR spectra, reveal to be transparent in terahertz frequency range .Terahertz frequency range allows to achieve a fairly good spatial resolution required for rendering quality imaging. T-rays are non-ionizing, able to penetrate clothing, polyethylene, polyester and other types of shrouds, covers and enclosures, made of various opaque materials, selectively absorbed by water and organic substances.
• THz emission is unique in the sense that it doesn’t harm any biological species which is not the case with X-Ray. terahertz waves have no ionizing radiation, it is non-invasive comapred X-ray wave and is considered to be absolutely safe for humans, plants and animals on this planet earth.
• THz Waves is quite apt for structural analysis of any biological being. One can conduct effective chemical analysis on these substances because for many of them their characteristic spectral lines in the far THz range (1–3 THz).Terahertz Application:

The most innovative contribution of this THz wave is in the field of Imaging technology. Let’s understand how this tech is revolutionizing many industrial sector with its unique abilities of being -

• invisible
• Non-invasive
• Non-ionising and biologicaly safe
• Non-destructive

1. Pharma Industry:

A.1: Tablet Coating Integrity and Performance Measurement-

As per sciencedirect.com-

Tablet coating plays a crucial role in regulating the release of active ingredients in the body. Coating not only contributes to the bioavailability of a particular drug or combination of drugs during certain times and locations, but also coating can protect the stomach from high concentrations of active ingredients, improve tablet visual appeal and extend shelf life by protecting the ingredients from degradation by moisture and oxygen.

THz imaging can be quite useful in performing 3D analysis on tablets. It can enable to determine the coating integrity and thickness, detect and identify localized chemical or physical structure such as cracks or chemical agglomeration within a core and to interrogate embedded layers for delamination and integrity.

2. Security -

THz can penetrate into clothes and plastics without damaging it, so it can be quite useful in detecting any objects of concern specially at airport for object screening to uncover concealed weapons . Passive detection of terahertz signatures avoids the bodily privacy concerns of other detection by being targeted to a very specific range of materials and objects.

It can be used for people screening and luggage scanning. Here the emphasis is primarily made on one feature that unlike X-ray, THz radiation is not detrimental to human body. THz scanners allow remote detection of metallic, plastic, ceramic and other object concealed under clothes — at a distance of a few meters.

3. QC : Quality Control

Non-destructive analysis (NDT) of the internal structure of objects (quality control of products). THz cameras tech is quite effective in finding defects in sealed packages food products under various enclosures.

4. Terahertz Wireless Communication:

THz is quite suitable to develop a current generation wireless telecommunication system which can fire at a blazing fast speed of 100 Gb/sec. This utility of Terahertz tech is quite promising for high-speed information transmission between electronic devices; building wireless local area networks (WLAN) and wireless personal area networks (WPAN) of new generation.

and many more…

Summary:

The team of Levy as we discussed in the starting is successfully leveraging this terahertz innovation to develop a new kind of microchip which will make your gadgets super smart and super speedy.

AS per the news reported in gadgetsnow-

Now, by using a Metal-Oxide-Nitride-Oxide-Silicon (MONOS) structure, Levy and his research team have come up with a new kind of circuit that uses flash memory technology — the kind used in flash drives and discs-on-key — in microchips. If they succed in their reserach this technology will enable standard 8–16 gigahertz computers to run 100 times faster and will bring all optic devices closer to the holy grail of communications — the terahertz chip.

I Feel :As a technologist it is a great time to be alive and to experiment with new innovative stuffs. Terahertz, Edge-Computing, IoT, Blockchain, AI, ML all have made us truly a smartest generation ever. Now onus is on us to use it with more responsibility to create a world which will be more safer and smarter to live for our upcoming generation. It’s a time that we put our brain to fire to its fullest capacity and harness it to create the unimaginable stuffs. It’s a time to take calculative risk and stretch ourself beyond our limitations to create a world full of possibility and life.

Thanks for being a wonderful reader and inspiring me to write more..

TeraHertz: A Tech Innovation Of Past Current & Future. was originally published in Hacker Noon on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.